You know how Eskimos have 50 words for snow? Well, Davidoff smokers must be equally sensitive when it comes to Connecticut wrapped, Dominican cigars. The differences between their lines until recently was subtle, to say the least. Guys used to fuller-bodied cigars probably can't even tell the difference between a Grand Cru and an Aniversario. Davidoff's cigars step up verrrry gradually from mild to medium bodied over the course of about six individual series. And until recently, that's as far as it went.

But someone in Geneva finally noticed that people with money smoke other kinds of cigars, too. The kind that aren't so "smooth." So now we have the Nicaragua line, and while it definitely stands out, this is still decidedly a Davidoff.

The company claims it took 10 years of work before they could "tame the wilder tendencies Nicaraguan tobacco." Thank goodness. You wouldn't want some genteel Southern gentleman to soil his seersucker suit at the first taste of untamed Nicaraguan leaf.

So what does a Nicaraguan cigar taste like after it's been beaten into submission by Davidoff's Corinthian leather bullwhip? In a word, delicious. Pretty much as you'd expect. It's basically your father's Tatuaje, and that's okay because dad has good taste.

The presentation is part of the experience. Packaged simply yet elegantly in a black slide-lid box, the robusto is also the only cigar in the line that comes in a tube. (The others being a thick toro and a short corona.) The cigar itself is a beauty to behold, with its uniformly chocolate wrapper and classic Davidoff band, this time in black instead of the traditional white.

And it's a beauty to smoke, too. Class, rather than complexity, is the order of the day here. In traditional Davidoff fashion the cigar is round and balanced, with a cafe au lait notes, some spicy earthiness and anisette. The finish is equally smooth, without the unpleasant grittiness that some Nicaraguan tobaccos can leave behind. Davidoffs are far from cheap but they also don't seem as expensive as they once did. Don't get us wrong, we still look at some of their cigars and say, "Wow, these guys have balls." Then we see a $35 Macanudo Vintage, or a $17 (non-Cuban!) Montecristo, and all of a sudden $14 for a cigar like the Davidoff Nicaragua Robusto doesn't seem so bad — especially if the cigar is good, which this is.

In sum, the Davidoff Nicaragua Robusto is a genuine luxury experience. What else can you say about a cigar that looks this good, smells this good, tastes so good and smokes flawlessly? It may be lacking a bit in complexity and character, but those are the sins of omission you get when you file off all the rough edges. Davidoff may have "tamed" Nicaraguan tobacco, but they sure haven't rendered it bland.

THE DETAILS

5x50Dominican RepublicW: NicaraguaB: NicaraguaF: Nicaragua$14

THE HIGHLIGHTS

Rich yet smooth, this classy cigar is more about finesse than complexity. Beautifully presented, gorgeous to look at. Take your time and relax, Davidoff style.